Testlab

Might be as simple as some muck in the tell tale tube that blocks the hole under pressure but not all the time. Could be a dicky thermostat or the impeller has perhaps had the centre bush spun out so it is only gripping intermittently.

In any recognized fishing ground, commercial fishing of any means has priority over recreational. I was curious so just went and read the fisheries general regulation of 2010 (clause 62). However that doesn't give them any right to navigate in any manner that is dangerous but since they trawl at less than 10 knots there is no stand off distance from anchored or moored vessels. it's up to the skipper to judge 'safe distance'.

If the fuel isn't too old (a few months??) and it has been in a sealed container (kept away from high temps) then I think it should be fine. As said, give it a shake first. It clogs carbys because the petrol evaporates leaving the oil and non-volatile compounds behind (ie. sludge).

If I recall correctly, CH68 VHF is one of the tug frequencies for Sydney Harbour. Unless you specifically need 68 then delete it from the scan schedule. I only scan 16, 67, 73, 21 and 22 and any other specific frequencies needed on the day.

The lower priced radios in Australia usually don't have DSC, which I think is another case of Australia being left behind when there is no good reason to be. All small craft VHF radios nearly perform the same since the installation limits performance more than the radio performance itself. Although everyone focusses on transmit performance it is equally important to have good receive ability too. With a decent aerial in good condition, aerial cable that isn't water damaged and clean connections the receive performance will be good. Any problems with any of these items will degrade/reduce both receive and transmit performance. If the equipment is in good order the next biggest killer of receive performance is electromagnetic interference from sounders, plotters, digital engine instruments, nmea2000 networks, engine ignition or computer interference, etc. Unlike a 27MHz radio where you hear the interference as repetitive static a VHF will simply have a higher noise floor in which faint signals simply disappear. Most sounders and plotters come with clip on ferrite suppressors that go around cables. These ferrites don't affect the performance of the plotter or sounder but do have a big impact on radio reception. Even with them in place it is sometimes prudent to switch off the sounder and plotter if you need best possible radio reception. Route your aerial cable and power wires for the radio away from the other wiring if possible. Hope this helps.

When I took out a policy on my imported boat I had to provide a copy of the survey report listing the equipment I wanted covered along with a copy of the bill of sale. When you bought the boat did you get an itemized receipt? A statutory declaration from the seller or copies of receipts he has may be sufficient. Part of the reason they want receipts is to work out how old the equipment is and the market value (and to prove they did actually exist). It may be under the policy excess value anyway.

Make sure it's a VHF marine antenna. Sounds silly but unless you know what you are looking for it is quite easy to mistake a 27MHz aerial for a VHF. Don't forget you need a marine radio operators certificate for VHF and the course will teach you a lot of useful info.

I think you'll find your keyswitch is full of salty gunge and corroded to the point the grounding terminal inside is either broken off or no longer making sufficient contact. The shock is from electrical leakage through the salt corrosion, making an electrical path from the ignition wire to the key barrel and key itself. Clean or replace the ignition switch assembly and it should be back to normal (in my opinion).

Parsley bay has much better toilets, which female deckies will appreciate and the wash down area and fish cleaning tables are better. The carpark is fully sealed and frankly the whole area is nicer than Mooney Mooney. There are two public wharves, one near the ramp and one off to the other side of the breakwater enclosed launching area. There is little wash (idiots excluded) and little wind as it's an enclosed area. The Deerubin Park (Mooney Mooney) ramp is however quicker to use but the carpark is rugged and the dunnies are pretty foul. The finger wharf is convenient as you can back a car right up to it but it is exposed to the full chop and wash from the river and all that speeds past. They are both worth checking out. If you launch at Mooney and head downstream pop into Parsley and have a squiz for a few minutes. The waterside entry is against the south side of the point at Brooklyn, where the yachts are moored.

Although its running now (that harness plug would have definitely been the culprit) on these older OMC engines that are fitted with electric start the cam that operates the neutral switch (stops it starting in gear) gets worn. So the gear level has to be in just the right spot to get them to fire up or it can get stuck in the cut-out position and not start no matter what your do (a gentle poke at the switch knob with a small screwdriver will free it up). The switch sits at the top of a vertical shaft near and above/behind the gear lever. With the engine off and cover removed you can see and hear it click in and out as the shift is moved. So if one day one of these little beasies doesn't fire off like it used to, wobble the gear shift back and forth a few times and try again (btw, on manual start models the lock out is mechanical and stops the rope being pulled). I have the electric start 1982 35HP version on our old runabout which is basically the same as your engine.

G'day. Just a quick note to draw attention that the Mooney Mooney ramp (Deerubin Park, aka The Ruins) will be used as the finish line for the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic this coming Sunday. Throughout the day there will hundreds (thousands?) of people and vehicles moving in and out of the ramp area and little room for general boating use. The race starts at Windsor at 1600 on Sat and finishes at the Mooney ramp when the last vessel lands sometime on Sunday. The competitors paddle all night with numerous checkpoints along the way. If I was paddling that far I'd at a least have a lure out the back with a hope of getting a decent feed to make it worthwhile. Cheers Dave.